Pre-Sale & Public Sale

A special pre-sale for past attendees takes place the week of October 8, 2018. Tickets go on sale to the public October 22. Call 304-242-7272 for more information.

Bourbon Basics:

Bourbon is decidedly American, rich with our country’s history and craftsmanship. Recent years have seen a bourbon boom, with a renewed interest in this corn-based whiskey. Bourbon is one of the fastest growing categories in the beverage alcohol world. Bourbon tastings are popular in cities across the U.S.

What makes bourbon bourbon?

By law, bourbon can only be produced in the United States, must be made with at least 51 percent corn, which provides sweetness. It must be distilled at 160 proof or less, put into the barrel at 125 proof or less and contain no additives. Furthermore, it must be aged in a new, oak-charred barrel for at least two years

What categories should I consider when tasting?

When tasting bourbon consider appearance, aroma, taste and finish. For more information, click here to read a helpful article from Modern Thirst.

Event Details

Live music in Wheeling: Towngate Theatre presents Matt Smith & Friends, at 8pm Saturday, February 23.
Living in the moment and going with the flow, Matt Smith and Friends create an

Event Details

Live music in Wheeling: Towngate Theatre presents Matt Smith & Friends, at 8pm Saturday, February 23.

Living in the moment and going with the flow, Matt Smith and Friends create an atmosphere of warmth and love in their music. A mixture of old friends and new, the group consists of Matt Smith, Adrian Niles, Chad Burrall and Ananga Martin.

Smith and Niles have been making music together for more than 25 years. Smith has recently returned to his roots, picking up the bass after taking some time to explore Irish folk music. Niles is a legend in the local music scene and is arguably one of the best guitar players in the area. Burrall adds a melodic flowing feel on the mandolin that binds the music together. Ananga Martin has emerged as a prolific songwriter whose music transports listeners to another time and place.

The group is currently recording an album of music written by Martin, which will be featured in the second set of the performance. The first set will be made up of music from such artists as Townes Van Zandt, The Grateful Dead and The

Towngate is more than just theater…

A church-turned-theater, Towngate is located in Wheeling’s historic Centre Market District. Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of Wheeling, the Upper Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage.

At Towngate, you can watch live theater. Listen to poetry and spoken word performances. Bring the kiddos to a children’s theater production. Attend a ballet. You can take a class or audition for a play. We also showcase improvisational comedy. Local and regional musicians also perform on the Towngate stage. You can see movies, too! Enjoy hundreds of live performances, concerts, events and classes year-round. See you at Towngate!

Register

This event is sold out. Please call 304-242-7272 to be added to wait list.

Bourbon Basics:

Bourbon is decidedly American, rich with our country’s history and craftsmanship. Recent years have seen a bourbon boom, with a renewed interest in this corn-based whiskey. Bourbon is one of the fastest growing categories in the beverage alcohol world. Bourbon tastings are popular in cities across the U.S.

What makes bourbon bourbon?

By law, bourbon can only be produced in the United States, must be made with at least 51 percent corn, which provides sweetness. It must be distilled at 160 proof or less, put into the barrel at 125 proof or less and contain no additives. Furthermore, it must be aged in a new, oak-charred barrel for at least two years

What categories should I consider when tasting?

When tasting bourbon consider appearance, aroma, taste and finish. For more information, click here to read a helpful article from Modern Thirst.

No reservations will be taken. Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The box office opens one hour prior to the show.

The show runs approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. A facilitated conversation follows the performance.

For more information, call Towngate at 304-233-0820.

About the Show

“The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?)” is a thoughtful one-man play excavating the playwright’s own complicated relationship to gun culture. While proponents on both sides talk past each other, “The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?)” explores the many nuanced considerations in that narrative dominated by political sound bytes and simple solutions.

Playwright EM Lewis shares five personal stories about her own varied experiences with guns, told by a single actor. The writer hopes that the power of personal storytelling can unite people of differing experiences, backgrounds and opinions.

About Quantum Theatre

Now in its 28th season, Quantum Theatre is a company of progressive, professional artists dedicated to producing intimate and sophisticated theatrical experiences in uncommon settings, exploring universal themes of truth, beauty and human relationships in unexpected ways.

About Towngate

Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.

Event Details

The Art of Healing exhibition explores the therapeutic power of the creative process to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of cancer patients and their loved ones.
Through drawing, painting,

Event Details

The Art of Healing exhibition explores the therapeutic power of the creative process to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of cancer patients and their loved ones.

Through drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and written word, artists chronicle their journeys from a variety of perspectives and offer powerful, visual portrayals of the emotional impact associated with a physical illness. The exhibition evokes a better understanding of the everyday challenges of those affected by cancer, honors the lives and memories of those fighting the disease and illustrates how art provides a sense of healing, belonging and relating in situations filled with uncertainty.

The Art of Healing is on display through April 19. The Stifel Fine Arts Center is open 9am-5pm Monday through Friday and 10am-4pm Saturday. Admission is free.

The Art of Healing Lecture Series

Join us for a series of learning and community-building events held at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center in conjunction with “The Art of Healing” exhibit. Programs explore using art in the healing process and provide resources and social support for those affected by cancer.

Programs take place at 6pm every Thursday from March 7 through April 18 and are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Event Details

Join us Thursday, February 28 at the Stifel Fine Arts Center for the opening of The Art of Healing. A free reception takes place from 6:30-8:30pm.
The Art of Healing exhibition

Event Details

Join us Thursday, February 28 at the Stifel Fine Arts Center for the opening of The Art of Healing. A free reception takes place from 6:30-8:30pm.

The Art of Healing exhibition explores the therapeutic power of the creative process to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of cancer patients and their loved ones.

Through drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and written word, artists chronicle their journeys from a variety of perspectives and offer powerful, visual portrayals of the emotional impact associated with a physical illness. The exhibition evokes a better understanding of the everyday challenges of those affected by cancer, honors the lives and memories of those fighting the disease and illustrates how art provides a sense of healing, belonging and relating in situations filled with uncertainty.

The strength of Junior Nature Camp’s staff comes from their years of experience and varied backgrounds. Small group sessions are led by experts in their field including college professors, researchers, natural resource professionals, and professional interpreters. Former campers, now nature experts, return to serve as counselors and stay in the units with the campers. The Camper to Staff ratio never exceeds 5:1.

Jeff Altemus – Director

Growing up in Michigan, Jeff was always interested in the outdoors — spending his free time on the lake, hiking in the woods or sloshing through a swamp. “Nature was all around us and it was ‘natural’ that I began to study it in earnest at a young age,” he recalls. Along with his twin brother Jon, birding and ornithology became his passion.

Jeff graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Geography and a master’s Degree in Education from West Virginia University. After working 33 years for West Virginia University he is temporarily retired, exploring North America with his family in an RV.

Jeff first attended Junior Nature Camp at the age of 11 years old. He progressed through the program as a C.I.T. and staff member until the age of 22. As a young man, Junior Nature Camp was the highlight of his year. Jeff states, “I could not wait for it to come each year and was very sad when it ended all too soon.”

In 2002, Jeff returned to Junior Nature Camp as director and has lead a resurgence and unprecedented growth in the program. While most campers remember him for flipping pancakes during breakfast, it is his leadership in connecting with past campers and attracting dynamic teachers that has cemented JNC well into its seventh decade. Jeff affirms, “I have always been interested in doing my part to take care of our natural environment and wanted to be in a position to make a difference. As Director of Junior Nature Camp, I am actively contributing to the nature education of young people. What better way to make a positive contribution to protecting our natural world?”

Lenny Muni – CIT Director

Currently serving the Berea City School District, Lenny is the director of Camp Mi-Bro-Be, the district’s camping, nature and outdoor education program for 6th graders. Lenny also directs the School District’s planetarium. He is the current president of the Cleveland Astronomical Society.

In 1976, Lenny began attending Junior Nature Camp as the counselor in training director and has been C.I.T. director for more than 30 years. He also continues to be part of Oglebay’s Mountain Nature Camp staff, leading campfires and teaching astronomy. Lenny is an invited presenter for various nature organizations around the region including the Brooks Bird Club. His passion for teaching usually includes sessions on astronomy. Lenny is famous for his talented singing and guitar playing around the campfire.

Natasha Diamond – Program Director

Natasha’s love for nature and the great outdoors began at a young age on her family’s farm in Ohio. While in school, her focus became on raising awareness of the degradation of the environment around us. She is one of the founding members of the West Virginia University Student Sierra Coalition. Natasha went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Resources from WVU and a masters in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. She has worked for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center and in program and finance for the Mountaineer Area Council Boy Scouts of America.

The 2016 camping season will mark her 15th year of involvement with Junior Nature Camp. Natasha enjoys the opportunity to provide nature education to young people. It is her hope each camper finds something to take back to their lives — at home and at school — that will somehow change them and their small part of the world

Dave Sapienza – Naturalist

Dave Sapienza first attended Junior Nature Camp in 1983 after the encouragement of his sixth grade teacher, Mr. Lenny Muni. Dave graduated from The Ohio State University in 1994 with a Bachelors degree in Environmental Interpretation, Communications and Education. He has worked as a Park Naturalist for Ohio State Parks since 1992 including Salt Fork State Park (1992-1994) and Lake Hope State Park (1994-present). In 1998, he was awarded the first Annual Bill Price Award for Interpretive Excellence in Ohio State Parks. In 2002, The Lake Hope Nature Center, which Dave directs, was voted the best in Ohio State Parks. He has also worked with Oglebay Institute as a R.E.A.P Assistant Director and a college intern and is a certified Ohio Peace Officer.

Annually, his creative morning programs are a highlight of the camp. Dave is a talented teacher, and his passion for exciting youth about the natural world leads to unique opportunities such as hand-feeding hummingbirds.

Christina Slover – Naturalist

Christina grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State and spent most of her time in the outdoors exploring, hunting and fishing. Her passion for the outdoors and for wildlife led her to pursue a career in wildlife management. After obtaining an associate’s degree in environmental studies from Finger lakes Community College, her love of travel brought her to Bozeman, Montana where she attended Montana State University. While in Montana she assisted with research on whirling disease in trout and studied nutrient uptake & energy flow in Yellowstone streams.

Christina moved back to New York in 2010 where she received her bachelor’s degree in wildlife management from SUNY Cobleskill. In 2014, she graduated from West Virginia University with a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries resources. Christina’s graduate research focused on avian community differences between burned & unburned deciduous forest stands within the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virginia. She is also first author of an article published in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology on developing a map to predict eastern whip-poor-will presence using landscape variables and occupancy modeling.

After graduation, Christina worked as an academic laboratory manager with the Biology Department at WVU for a couple of years. She then took a job in Tiffin, OH as a farm bill wildlife biologist with Pheasants Forever. Both positions have grown Christina’s passion and experience as an educator. She now resides in Barnesville, OH where she enjoys spending time with her family as well as hunting and birding. Christina is excited to be joining the Schrader Environmental Center as a naturalist and hopes that she can share her passion for environmental conservation with the public through all of the great programs that are offered.

Kim Henderson – Head Cook

Kim is from Barnesville, OH, originally born and raised in Whittier, CA. She joined the Air Force at 19 and after serving 5 years, married John Henderson, who she met on her last assignment.

She moved to Ohio in 1979 and raised a family while serving as a Girl Scout leader for 12 years. Her association with Girl Scouts is what led to her tenure as Head Cook for Junior Nature Camp with Oglebay Institute’s Schrader Center. She started in 1995 with Billie Altemus as Director and Jim Denham as Kitchen Coordinator. What an awesome start!

What a lot of her peers there didn’t realize is that she loved Nature! She loved 6th grade outdoor education camp, always jumped at a chance to go camping as a child, and took every job the Scouts offered to cook at their camps. She does what she can to keep healthy enough to continue working at JNC because she loves it there!

Jessica Woodward – Volunteer

When Jessica and her family dropped her brother off at Junior Nature Camp in 1981 she knew she had to come to camp herself the next year when she was old enough. And so she started attending in 1982 and continued as a camper, CIT and counselor for the next 10 years. Jessica never forgot the special times and friends she made at JNC, so after her daughter, Abby, started attending camp in 2007 she got the itch to return and came back as an adult volunteer in 2009. While at camp she may be helping out in the kitchen and dining hall, leading a morning bird walk or a morning session, or just sitting on the porch talking to the campers about their day. Jessica and her husband, John (who is also a volunteer at camp), live in Gastonia NC. During the other 50 weeks of the year, she works for the Gaston County Family YMCA as the business manager. In her spare time she enjoys birding and hanging out with and walking her two dogs, Oscar and PJ.

Jr. Camp Dates

Week 1: July 14-20

Week 2: July 21-27

Contacts

Schrader Center
304-242-6855

Jr. Camp Resources

Oglebay Institute was formed in 1930 when a group of like-minded citizens with a vision and the philanthropy of the Oglebay family, came together to contribute to the joy of living by creating cultural, educational and recreational programming in Oglebay Park and expanding to serve the city of Wheeling & Upper Ohio Valley.

Oglebay Institute Facilities

Programs are made possible by the generous support of our members & sponsors and with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.